Machine for sifting granular material



(-No Model.) 4 Sheets- Sheet 2.

' P. G. WINKLER.

MACHINE FOR SIFTING GRANULAR MATERIALS.

No. 593,629. Patented Nov. 16, 1897.

ll! ll l ll (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

I. G. WINKLER. MACHINE FOR SIFTING GRANULAR MATERIALS.

Patented Nov. 16; 1897.

"UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

FRIEDRICH GEORG WIN KLER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR SIFTING GRANULAR MATER|AL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,629, dated November 16, 1897. Application filed August 26, 1896. Serial No. 604,038. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH GEORG WINKLER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Jersey City, Hudson county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Siftin g Granular Materials, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for sifting'granular materials, such as flour, meal, and other granular materials.

The invention especially relates to such a construction and combination of parts in sifting-machines of that general type which contain a sieve,'which may either revolveor be stationary, as desired, and a wave-generator which is composed of one or more independentlyrevolving gratings and one or more independently-revolving pulsators, that the velocity of the pulsator or pulsators (which velocity determines the intensity of the sifting effect) can be varied at will independently of any change in the velocity of the grating or gratings or of the sieve. EX- perience has demonstrated the need of this capability of independent variation of the velocity of that part of the machine upon which the intensity of the sifting effect depends, although the need was not supplied until the present invention appeared. It is very important practically to vary the speed of that part of the machine on which the intensity of the sifting effect dependsthat is to say, the pulsator or pulsators in wave-generators-according to the quality of the materialas, for example, its humidity or dryness, its softness or sharpness-a1'1d the most effective and economical sifting can only be done by changing the speed of the pulsator or pulsators, without affecting the speed of the sieve or gratings, while the machine is in motion. If without this capability of varying the speed of the pulsator or pulsators that speed is set high, as for soft or moist material, then with any drier or harder material the material will be sifted at too high a speed, involving a deterioration in the product and wasteful expenditure of power, and if, on the other hand, the speed'of the pulsator or pulsators were set for a drier and harder material, then if soft and moist material were fed into the machine the material Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, in

I would not be thoroughly sifted and some of the fine material would go into the tailings. In the present practice it is therefore necessary to set the speed of the pulsator or pulsators sufficiently high for moist and soft material, and therefore from time to time in practical operation the speed of the pulsator fails to suit the harder and drier material which may be supplied and consequently consumes unnecessary power and injures the quality of the product of such material, or if, on the other hand, the speed is set for hard and dry material it will fail to suit the softer and moister material that may be supplied and will let too much of the fine material that should have passed through the sieve go into the tailin gs, which would require unnecessaryresiftings and involve a large and costly plant, while my invention will improve the. efficiency of the original sifting, reduce the number of resiftings, and, as a consequence, cheapen the plant and cost of operation.

In the drawings which accompany this specification I have illustrated several devices which enable me to effect the desired independent variation in the velocity of the pulsator or pulsators; but the essence of the invention is not limited to any specific devices, for it is the combination with the independentlyrevolving grating or gratings and pulsator or pulsators of any device for varying the velocity of the pulsator or pulsators without chang ing the velocity ofthe grating or gratings or sleve.

Referring to the drawings which accompany this specification to aid the description, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a siftingmachine of the said type equipped with a friction-cone and belt device for independently varying the speed of the pulsator. an elevation of the left end of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the gratings and pulsator and on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a plan, partly broken and on a large scale, of the frictioncone and belt device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section of the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan of a modified cone and belt device. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of a frictional disk device for independently varying the speed of the pulsator.

' said arms 5 to the discharge-chute IV.

bolting-chest A are the cylindrical sieve B, the concentric gratings C O, of which the outer is termed the .deflecting-grate, the suction-blocks D, the main fans E, and auxiliary fans F, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose describedin my said other applications for patents. Said suction-blocks and fans, taken together, I term the pulsator. One end of the frames 1 2 of said sieve B are secured to rims 4, carried on the ends of the radial arms 5 5 of a head 6, and the other ends of said frames 1 2 are fastened to the rim-flange of the other head 7, which is shaped in section, as shown in Fig. 1. The tailings pass through openings 8 8, between Said head 6 makes a dust-tight working joint with the chest A in the usual manner, as by the flange 9 working in the groove 10.

The hollow hub 11, fixed on head 6, turns in boxes 12, and the hollow hub 15, fixed on head 7, turns in boxes 16 and makes a tight working fit with the end of the feed-chute X. I prefer to fix the wire-mesh basket G on said head 7 in such manner that all material is required to pass through said basket before reaching the interior of the machine in order that the basket may retain any article that might injure the machine or interfere with its efficient act-ion. Removable plugs 18 19 give access to the basket.

While the arrangement of the said gratings and pulsator is not per 56 part of the present invention, the same having been described and claimed in other of my applications for Letters Patent of the United States, I prefer to arrange and construct them in the following manner: Said gratings C O are preferably arranged in concentric circles, as shown in Fig. 3. The grates or bars 0 of said outer circle O are preferably bent in cross-section, as shown, and said bars 0 extend across from head 20 to head 21, the ends of said bars 0 being held in frames on said heads, as shown in Fig. 1. The bars 0' of the said inner circle C may either be curved in crosssection, as shown, be bent, as the bars of said outer circle O, or be fiat, and each of said bars 0' is preferably made in halves, the one half being secured to said head 20 and the other half to said head 21. Suffieient' clear space is left between the inner ends of the half-bars to permit of the free revolution of the wings 25, which carry the suction blocks and fans. Said circles of gratings O and C may be driven together or independently as desired. The drawings illustrate them as driven together by the pulley 98, which is fixed on the hollow hub 27 of the said head 20, 29 being the box in which said hub 27 turns. The hub 30 of head 27 turns in boxes 32, and'34 is a spiral conveyer carried by said hub 30 and serving to push the material that is to be sifted into said basket G. The form of the said suctionblocks D may be varied according to the arrangement of the other elements of the machine, especially the gratings, and I have shown them in different shapes in other of my said applications for Letters Patent. In

' Fig. 3 of this application I show said blocks with a slightly-curved forward or pressure face, a depressed shoulder d, and a comparatively long gently-sloping suction curve (1, with a rearward extension (1 Said suctionbloeks D are preferably fastened on each side of said wings 25 25 and between same and rings 37,whieh are carried on the flanged ends of transverse arms 31 31, which are cast as one, with or otherwise fastened to said wings 25. The construction is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The hub 35 of said wings 25 25 is keyed on the swift-running shaft K, which passes freely through the said hubs 27 and 30 and is supported in boxes 38 30.

The aforesaid main fans E, which generate the sifting impulse, and the auxiliary fans F, which generate the on tward after-current, as explained in my said other applications, are also fastened between the said rings 37 37 and the wings 25. All said fans I and F are preferably shaped and arranged as shown in the drawings; but such shape and arrangement having been described in my said other applications and not being in themselves a part of the present invention are not here more fully described. It will, however, be perceived that the suction-blocks D and the fans E and F are arranged and revolve between the two circles of gratings O C.

The number of suction-blocks and fans, as well as of gratings, may be increased, if desired, and in my said other applications I illustrate several machines, all with different numbers either of suction-blocks or fans, or of both; but all those machines admit of the independent variation of the velocity of the pulsator to vary the the sifting effect, and the combination which is the subject of my present application includes all such machines as a part thereof. The said variation of the velocity of the pulsator is effected by combining with theindependently-variable gratings and pulsator suitable devices for varying the velocity of the pulsator without changing the speed of the gratings or the sieve. I show several devices for accomplishing this.

Referring to Figs.,1 to 5, is a shaft driven from any suitable prime motor (not shown) and provided with the usual fast pulley 52 and loose pulley 53. Said shaft 50 carries a cone 54. A short endless belt 56 encircles an adjacent cone 58, which is fixed on a countor-shaft 59 and passes with tight friction fit between the peripheries of said cones 54 and 58. A pulley 60 on said shaft 50 drives a belt 62 and that a pulley 64 on said swift-running shaft K. The axes of said cones 54 and 58 are parallel and their slopes equal but in opposite directions,Fig. 4. Evidently, therefore, as belt 56, which is the medium through which cone 54 communicates motion to cone 58, is pushed by the belt-shipper 66 toward the large end of cone 54 it at the same time moves toward the small end of cone 58 and the velocity of the pulsator increases, while if the said belt 56 be moved toward'the small end of cone 54 the velocity of the pulsator will decrease. Said belt-shipper 66 threads on the screw-rod .68, which turns but does not move lengthwise in'the frame 7 O and is providedwith the knob or hand-wheel 72. An eye in the shipper 66 works on the guide-rod 74, which is fixed on said frame parallel to the screw-rod 68. Thus by turning screw-rod 68 the shipper 66 will be moved as desired and the speed of the cone 58, shaft 59, and pulsator be varied as desired. The boxes 76 77 78 of said shaft 59 are slotted, as indicated, to allow of a little sidewise motion of said shaft 59,and said boxes 77 and 78 are provided with wedge-lugs 80, on which bear wedgeblocks 81 82, respectively, which slide in guides 84 85. Said blocks 81 82 are fixed on a rod 87, on the threaded end of which is a thumb-nut 88. By turning said nut 88 the cone 58 will be moved a little to or from the cone 54 and the friction on belt 56 be increased or decreased. A half-turn belt 90 connects a pulley 92 on said main shaft 50 with a pulley 94 on the shaft 96 of a worm 97, carried in boxes on the frame of the machine, as shown, Fig. 1, and with said worm 97 meshes the worm-gear 100, which drives the sieve Bin case it is wished to revolve said sieve slowly, though said sieve may be stationary, if desired, and suitable devices for disconnecting the worm 97 from the wormgear 100 may be employed, as described and claimed in my certain other application for Letters Patent. Said main shaft 50 also carries a pulley 104, which drives the belt 105, and that the pulley 98, fixed on the hub 27 of gratings O O. Said pulleys 60, 64, 104, and 98 are of such relative sizes as to normally develop proper relative speeds in the pulsator and gratings, and the further regulation of the velocity of the pulsator is obtained by the cones 54 58, as described, without affecting the velocity either of the gratings or the sieve and while the machine is in motion.

The cones 54 58 of Fig. 6 are connected by the belt 110.

The shaft 111 corresponds to the shaft 50 and the shaft 112 to the shaft 59.

114 115 are the belt-shippers, which are operated by the endless belt or cord 116, that is rove, as indicated, around idlers 118 119 120 121. Hand-ropes 124 125 are attached at any convenient place to the cord 116. Thus by pulling one or other of said hand-ropes both shippers will be moved in the same direction, and the speed of the cone 58 which controls that of the pulsator, will be varied independently of the speed of the gratings or sieve, for it will be understood that suitable pulleys on shaft 111 Will be provided for driving the said. gratings and sieve in the manner hereinbefore explained and that pulley 60 on shaft 112 will drive the pulsator.

In Fig. 7, is the main driving-shaft. A

shouldered neck 142 of the sleeve of said pulley 138 works in a fork or yoke 143, through which threads the screw-rod 145. By turning said rod 145 pulley 138 will be moved toward or from the center of disk 132, and the velocity of the shaft 140, and therefore of the pulsator, will be decreased or increased accordingly. Eccentric bushings 146 147 are provided to facilitate obtaining the desired friction of the pulleys 133 138 on the disk 132.

The sieve and the grating or gratings may also be combined with driving-gear, such as were shown and described for driving the pulsator or pulsators, so that the speed of the sieve or the gratings may be varied independently of the speed of the pulsator or pulsators, and this is advantageous in controlling the rate of the supply of the material which is to be sifted.

I do not in this application claim any invention or improvement which is claimed in my pending applications, filed August 14, 1896, Serial No. 602,371; August 25, 1896, Serial No. 603,906, and August 27, 1896, Serial No. 604,134.

Now, having described my improvements, I claim as my invention- 1. In a sifting-machine, the combination with a rotary sieve and a rotary pulsator arranged within the sieve and producing blast and suction effects during its rotation, of a constant-speed driving mechanism whereby said sieve is rotated and a variable-speed driving mechanismwhereby said pulsator is actuated, substantially as set forth.

2. In a sifting-machine,fthe combination with a sieve, a rotary grating and a rotary pulsator arranged within the sieve, of means whereby said grating is rotated independently of said pulsator, and a variable-speed driving mechanism whereby said pulsator is actuated, substantially as set forth.

3. In a sifting-machine, the combination with a rotary sieve, and a rotary grating and a rotary pulsator both arranged within said sieve, of a constant-speed driving mechanism whereby said sieve and said grating are rotated, and a variable-speed driving mechanism whereby said pulsator is actuated, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of August, 1896.

FRIEDRICH GEORG WINKLER.

Witnesses:

BERNARD J. ISECKE, HENRY V. BROWN. 

